USER REVIEWS

Same views as everyone else so far - its just faultless. One of the reasons I chose the Orca as unlike most manufacturers they make a 51 frame with a Normal 73 degree seat tube unlike a lot of manufacturers. Its light, stiff, responsive, climbing is a joy - it just charges forward when out the saddle and even makes me feel confident descending. The ride itself is just smooooth without being a 'dull' carbon ride. And then just look at it, I've got the black/orange one and ity just looks the business!

Same views as everyone else so far - its just faultless. One of the reasons I chose the Orca as unlike most manufacturers they make a 51 frame with a Normal 73 degree seat tube unlike a lot of manufacturers. Its light, stiff, responsive, climbing is a joy - it just charges forward when out the saddle and even makes me feel confident descending. The ride itself is just smooooth without being a 'dull' carbon ride. And then just look at it, I've got the black/orange one and ity just looks the business!

It makes you faster at any road you´ve ridden before.You feel light climbing and safe when going down the hills from the first day. Stiffness and comfort come togheter.

Weakness:

none, so far

When I was going to change my old bike I thought there would be too choices.. ´till the day I saw the orca. Euskaltel pro riders competition tests and life warranty did the rest. The bike looks great and goes really fast. I usually ride through hilly roads and the bike asks me to go faster every mile.. mavic cosmic wheels help to set my trainnig average between 30-35 km/h...
Stiff, light and very comfortable at the same time which it´s said by Iban Mayo as well.
I recently bought a campy neutrons to make it faster for long climbings and they turn pretty well!!!

Similar Products Used:

aluminium frame, dura-ace 9, mavic cosmic

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Mar 05, 2006]

eduvido

Road Racer

Strength:

It makes you faster at any road you´ve ridden before.You feel light climbing and safe when going down the hills from the first day. Stiffness and comfort come togheter.

Weakness:

none, so far

When I was going to change my old bike I thought there would be too choices.. ´till the day I saw the orca. Euskaltel pro riders competition tests and life warranty did the rest. The bike looks great and goes really fast. I usually ride through hilly roads and the bike asks me to go faster every mile.. mavic cosmic wheels help to set my trainnig average between 30-35 km/h...
Stiff, light and very comfortable at the same time which it´s said by Iban Mayo as well.
I recently bought a campy neutrons to make it faster for long climbings and they turn pretty well!!!

Similar Products Used:

aluminium frame, dura-ace 9, mavic cosmic

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Feb 18, 2006]

EndoPotential

Road Racer

Strength:

An absolutely wonderful creation. I could go on and on...

Weakness:

I spend too much time in the garage just staring at the darn thing.

I wholeheartedly agree with all the other rave reviews here. It's hard to imagine a much better bike.
First off, the bike looks gorgeous just standing still. It just calls out to be ridden. Orbea made a beautiful frame with sleek, muscular flowing lines. The hand painted colors and bare carbon work well together. The Orca simply looks better than any other carbon frame I've seen.
In motion, the Orca is a pure joy to ride. It's incredibly fast and smooth, just eating up the miles. Very lively, with perhaps just an iota more chatter than titanium. In the hills, it climbs like a gazelle. I'm still amazed every time I get out of the saddle - the frame is so wonderfully stiff and efficient. The amazingly light Rolf wheels don't hurt either.
This will be my favorite toy for a long time to come!

Similar Products Used:

1. Merlin Ultralight Ti - this is the one the Orca replaced. A great bike by any measure, but it feels like a ton of bricks compared to Spanish carbon
2. Litespeed Ghisallo - One of the few out there with a comparable weight. To achieve that, the top tube slopes ridiculously low. For the same 57cm frame, the seat collar must be some 7cm lower. It rides well and climbs just as fast as the Orca, but looks like a silly BMX frame.
3. Trek 5500 - very boring, heavy setup compared to an Orbea

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Feb 18, 2006]

EndoPotential

Road Racer

Strength:

An absolutely wonderful creation. I could go on and on...

Weakness:

I spend too much time in the garage just staring at the darn thing.

I wholeheartedly agree with all the other rave reviews here. It's hard to imagine a much better bike.
First off, the bike looks gorgeous just standing still. It just calls out to be ridden. Orbea made a beautiful frame with sleek, muscular flowing lines. The hand painted colors and bare carbon work well together. The Orca simply looks better than any other carbon frame I've seen.
In motion, the Orca is a pure joy to ride. It's incredibly fast and smooth, just eating up the miles. Very lively, with perhaps just an iota more chatter than titanium. In the hills, it climbs like a gazelle. I'm still amazed every time I get out of the saddle - the frame is so wonderfully stiff and efficient. The amazingly light Rolf wheels don't hurt either.
This will be my favorite toy for a long time to come!

Similar Products Used:

1. Merlin Ultralight Ti - this is the one the Orca replaced. A great bike by any measure, but it feels like a ton of bricks compared to Spanish carbon
2. Litespeed Ghisallo - One of the few out there with a comparable weight. To achieve that, the top tube slopes ridiculously low. For the same 57cm frame, the seat collar must be some 7cm lower. It rides well and climbs just as fast as the Orca, but looks like a silly BMX frame.
3. Trek 5500 - very boring, heavy setup compared to an Orbea

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Jan 20, 2006]

Rico from Peurto

Recreational Rider

Strength:

I cant say enough about this bike.

Weakness:

ZERO

This is the most beautiful bike I have ever seen. Love it, rides great, comfortable and very light weight. 1140g size 54cm, including headset. The fork is light as well at 320g.
Not scary light like the Litespeed Ghisallo. Carbon is the way to go on the road. Campy Record, FSA Cranks, speedplay pedals, Mavic Kysrium, Token Integrated Handlebars. Bike weighs 15.6 lbs. and 15 with the AC sprint wheels.

Similar Products Used:

Bianchi Ti, Airborne Ti, Litespeed Ghisallo

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

4

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Jan 20, 2006]

Rico from Peurto

Recreational Rider

Strength:

I cant say enough about this bike.

Weakness:

ZERO

This is the most beautiful bike I have ever seen. Love it, rides great, comfortable and very light weight. 1140g size 54cm, including headset. The fork is light as well at 320g.
Not scary light like the Litespeed Ghisallo. Carbon is the way to go on the road. Campy Record, FSA Cranks, speedplay pedals, Mavic Kysrium, Token Integrated Handlebars. Bike weighs 15.6 lbs. and 15 with the AC sprint wheels.

Wow! I thought the Trek and the Litespeed were great bikes, but this thing is incredible. It is just so stiff at the rear. When you dance out of the saddle, each pedal stroke seems to propel you forward up the climb. On the first long ride that I did, I noticed I was 1-2 miles an hour faster on average with no extra effort. This is an incredibly quick bike. If you’re riding any machine other than an Orbea Orca then be prepared to be passed.
Also, how can a racing bike be so incredible comfortable? If you think that carbon frames are dead in feel, then you really need to look at this bike. It blew me away with the way it soaks up the road vibration, but climbs like a jackrabbit. I ridden this bike on several fast centuries or long team training ride and I do not feel as beat up as I did on my old Trek.
This was my first time on Campy components. All I can say is that there is no way I will ever go back to Shimano. The Record group far exceeds DA in all areas.
Overall if you are looking to spend some money on a bike that can do long fast hilly rides or quick crits on and won’t beat you up, then this is the machine.

Wow! I thought the Trek and the Litespeed were great bikes, but this thing is incredible. It is just so stiff at the rear. When you dance out of the saddle, each pedal stroke seems to propel you forward up the climb. On the first long ride that I did, I noticed I was 1-2 miles an hour faster on average with no extra effort. This is an incredibly quick bike. If you’re riding any machine other than an Orbea Orca then be prepared to be passed.
Also, how can a racing bike be so incredible comfortable? If you think that carbon frames are dead in feel, then you really need to look at this bike. It blew me away with the way it soaks up the road vibration, but climbs like a jackrabbit. I ridden this bike on several fast centuries or long team training ride and I do not feel as beat up as I did on my old Trek.
This was my first time on Campy components. All I can say is that there is no way I will ever go back to Shimano. The Record group far exceeds DA in all areas.
Overall if you are looking to spend some money on a bike that can do long fast hilly rides or quick crits on and won’t beat you up, then this is the machine.

This bike is hot. I thought I knew the role a bike played in a good ride, but I never realized the difference it truly could make.
The Orca frame was a huge upgrade for me: going from a Specialized Epic Carbon frame to this hot rod. I realized the difference today when I took a 45 mile route and glanced at my average speed afterwards. I was used to 16 to 17 with my old bike, towards the end of the riding season when I was feeling fast. Today, I ended the ride with a 18.5 mph average speed and I felt like I had a lot left in my legs.
I'm still getting adjusted to the bike. I'm experiencing some aches and pains, but that's normal when getting everything tweaked just right. Non of the aches are from the bike frame however.
Overall, this bike is amazing and I can't wait to see where it takes me from here. Riding is fun again.

This bike is hot. I thought I knew the role a bike played in a good ride, but I never realized the difference it truly could make.
The Orca frame was a huge upgrade for me: going from a Specialized Epic Carbon frame to this hot rod. I realized the difference today when I took a 45 mile route and glanced at my average speed afterwards. I was used to 16 to 17 with my old bike, towards the end of the riding season when I was feeling fast. Today, I ended the ride with a 18.5 mph average speed and I felt like I had a lot left in my legs.
I'm still getting adjusted to the bike. I'm experiencing some aches and pains, but that's normal when getting everything tweaked just right. Non of the aches are from the bike frame however.
Overall, this bike is amazing and I can't wait to see where it takes me from here. Riding is fun again.

Similar Products Used:

I haven't riden anything quite like this bike.

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Mar 31, 2005]

danndir

Road Racer

Strength:

Doe everything well.

Weakness:

None.

I am fairly new ot cycling and my first bike was a Trek 1500 bought in August 04. My wife decided she wanted to bike herself and gave me the okay to look for a new bike and she would use the Trek. So for 3 months I looked for what me next ride would be. After deming a seven, a cannondale 6/13 and a Specialized roubaix I decided I wanted the hotest looking bike with all the great reviews. The Orbea Orca, team Jelly belly Edition. Now I have the best looking and best performing bike. This bike is truly Awesome. I 5'5" 135 lbs. this bike has improved my climbing my flat riding and my sprinting. I find myself outsprinting some of the bigger boys now. I have dressed my bike with campy components and a Phil wood bottom bracket and so far after about 700 miles it just gets better with every ride. Anyone in the market for a great frame at an average price please consider the Orca, you wont go wrong.

Similar Products Used:

Trek 1500, Seven Alta, Cannodale 6/13. Specialized Roubaix

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Mar 31, 2005]

danndir

Road Racer

Strength:

Doe everything well.

Weakness:

None.

I am fairly new ot cycling and my first bike was a Trek 1500 bought in August 04. My wife decided she wanted to bike herself and gave me the okay to look for a new bike and she would use the Trek. So for 3 months I looked for what me next ride would be. After deming a seven, a cannondale 6/13 and a Specialized roubaix I decided I wanted the hotest looking bike with all the great reviews. The Orbea Orca, team Jelly belly Edition. Now I have the best looking and best performing bike. This bike is truly Awesome. I 5'5" 135 lbs. this bike has improved my climbing my flat riding and my sprinting. I find myself outsprinting some of the bigger boys now. I have dressed my bike with campy components and a Phil wood bottom bracket and so far after about 700 miles it just gets better with every ride. Anyone in the market for a great frame at an average price please consider the Orca, you wont go wrong.

Similar Products Used:

Trek 1500, Seven Alta, Cannodale 6/13. Specialized Roubaix

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Mar 27, 2005]

Kennardy

Recreational Rider

Strength:

Smooth ride. Great build Quality. Light. Great climber.

Weakness:

Limited frame sizes.

I actually own the Orbea Orca with the Euskaltel-Euskadi paint scheme but I found the Jelly Belly to be the closest in the review area. Before dropping over $4k for a bike, I rode everything I could get my hands on. I road aluminum, Ti and Carbon. After relatively thorough testing period (over a month and six bikes) I decided on the Orca.
Living in an area that has very little flat land, I needed a bike that liked to climb and descend. I had read some reviews that claimed the Orca “loved to climb” so it was obviously a bike I had to try. There were four main contenders, the Orca, the Trek Madon 5.9 SL and the Kestrel Evoke SL and the Cannondale Six13. Harsh ride quality eliminated the Kestrel and Cannondale. That left two. The Madone 5.9 SL and the Orbea both had great ride quality, both liked to climb and both were solid descenders. It was too close to call on the road. Here’s where Orbea wins and wins BIG! Options. Trek offered no way of deviating from Bontrager wheels or bars. While Orbea offered something I really wanted. Optional Mavic Kysrium SLs and carbon flat-top bars. Both were available options with the Orbea Dura-Ace 10. Not with Trek.
Ride quality is terrific. The bike floats over rough roads and eats road vib extremely well. At 16.25 lb. (without pedals), the bike is very light. That lack of weight shows when climbing. Speaking of climbing, my old Trek 2300 was a “sit and grind it out” bike that offered very little advantage to staying out of the saddle on extended ascents. On the Orca, I have been noticing that I can stay out of the saddle much longer. It’s easy to get into a rhythm that actually makes climbing fun and not as fatiguing. It’s taken a while for me to adjust to the bikes characteristics but as I near the 400 mile mark, I am refining my climbing style to make the most of the bike.
When the road points down, the Orca is extremely solid. It hit 46 mph on my first ride and it felt like I had been on the bike for years. There wasn’t that twitchy “get-used-to-it” period when descending.
Orbea is hot this year and for a reason. They build a great machine that is worth a long test ride.

Similar Products Used:

Trek 5500. Kestrel Evoke SL.

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Mar 27, 2005]

Kennardy

Recreational Rider

Strength:

Smooth ride. Great build Quality. Light. Great climber.

Weakness:

Limited frame sizes.

I actually own the Orbea Orca with the Euskaltel-Euskadi paint scheme but I found the Jelly Belly to be the closest in the review area. Before dropping over $4k for a bike, I rode everything I could get my hands on. I road aluminum, Ti and Carbon. After relatively thorough testing period (over a month and six bikes) I decided on the Orca.
Living in an area that has very little flat land, I needed a bike that liked to climb and descend. I had read some reviews that claimed the Orca “loved to climb” so it was obviously a bike I had to try. There were four main contenders, the Orca, the Trek Madon 5.9 SL and the Kestrel Evoke SL and the Cannondale Six13. Harsh ride quality eliminated the Kestrel and Cannondale. That left two. The Madone 5.9 SL and the Orbea both had great ride quality, both liked to climb and both were solid descenders. It was too close to call on the road. Here’s where Orbea wins and wins BIG! Options. Trek offered no way of deviating from Bontrager wheels or bars. While Orbea offered something I really wanted. Optional Mavic Kysrium SLs and carbon flat-top bars. Both were available options with the Orbea Dura-Ace 10. Not with Trek.
Ride quality is terrific. The bike floats over rough roads and eats road vib extremely well. At 16.25 lb. (without pedals), the bike is very light. That lack of weight shows when climbing. Speaking of climbing, my old Trek 2300 was a “sit and grind it out” bike that offered very little advantage to staying out of the saddle on extended ascents. On the Orca, I have been noticing that I can stay out of the saddle much longer. It’s easy to get into a rhythm that actually makes climbing fun and not as fatiguing. It’s taken a while for me to adjust to the bikes characteristics but as I near the 400 mile mark, I am refining my climbing style to make the most of the bike.
When the road points down, the Orca is extremely solid. It hit 46 mph on my first ride and it felt like I had been on the bike for years. There wasn’t that twitchy “get-used-to-it” period when descending.
Orbea is hot this year and for a reason. They build a great machine that is worth a long test ride.

Similar Products Used:

Trek 5500. Kestrel Evoke SL.

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Nov 03, 2004]

orcaman

Recreational Rider

Strength:

In one word, SMOOTH.

Weakness:

Pricey, but you get what you pay for. No complaints about the product.

I just bought this bike....a dream come true! This review is for the Obea Orca frame, not the Team Jelly Belly bike.
The bike is FAST, stiff, yet incredibly smooth. Much nicer than my previous carbon bike, a Trek 5200. Plus the hand painted frame looks awesome. I highly recommend this bike to individuals seeking an all around comfortable and fast ride.

Similar Products Used:

Trek Madone 5.9, Trek 5200, Litespeed Vortex, Specialized Roubaix

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Nov 03, 2004]

orcaman

Recreational Rider

Strength:

In one word, SMOOTH.

Weakness:

Pricey, but you get what you pay for. No complaints about the product.

I just bought this bike....a dream come true! This review is for the Obea Orca frame, not the Team Jelly Belly bike.
The bike is FAST, stiff, yet incredibly smooth. Much nicer than my previous carbon bike, a Trek 5200. Plus the hand painted frame looks awesome. I highly recommend this bike to individuals seeking an all around comfortable and fast ride.

Similar Products Used:

Trek Madone 5.9, Trek 5200, Litespeed Vortex, Specialized Roubaix

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Jul 14, 2004]

abw10

Recreational Rider

Strength:

See above

Weakness:

NONE!

The bike is awesome. It is stiffer than anything I have ever ridden, yet incredibly comfortable. Everything I have read about carbon fiber frames having a lifeless ride does not apply to this frame. Yes I feel much less vibration than with a comparable aluminum frame, but the road is still present. Think of Porsche rather than Ferrari.
I am 175lbs and notice zero flex at the bottom bracket. It climbs and descends like a dream. There is lots of snap when I stamp on the pedals, but the bike never feels nervy.
I am also very happy with the fit. I had some concern about moving from a 55cm frame to a 54, but those worries were unfounded. Go to a shop that will take the time to get the seat position and stem size correct and you will have no problem.

Similar Products Used:

Klein Quantam Pro, Speciallized Allez Pro

OVERALLRATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

VALUERATING

5

★★★★★

★★★★★

[Jul 14, 2004]

abw10

Recreational Rider

Strength:

See above

Weakness:

NONE!

The bike is awesome. It is stiffer than anything I have ever ridden, yet incredibly comfortable. Everything I have read about carbon fiber frames having a lifeless ride does not apply to this frame. Yes I feel much less vibration than with a comparable aluminum frame, but the road is still present. Think of Porsche rather than Ferrari.
I am 175lbs and notice zero flex at the bottom bracket. It climbs and descends like a dream. There is lots of snap when I stamp on the pedals, but the bike never feels nervy.
I am also very happy with the fit. I had some concern about moving from a 55cm frame to a 54, but those worries were unfounded. Go to a shop that will take the time to get the seat position and stem size correct and you will have no problem.